SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The game couldn't have started much better for the Chicago Bears after getting a pick-6 on the first play.
The ending couldn't have been much more crushing with a potential game-winning pass from the 2-yard line falling short as the Bears couldn't complete a record seventh late-game comeback.
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Chicago Bears' Colston Loveland celebrates his touchdown catch with Kyle Monangai during the first half of an NFL football game the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (53) is congratulated by teammates after returning an interception for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes while pressured by San Francisco 49ers defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (94) on the final play of the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Caleb Williams missed on a last-ditch pass to Jahdae Walker in the end zone Sunday night, sending the Bears to a 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers that cost them a chance to earn the top seed in the NFC playoffs.
“It’s frustrating,” Williams said. “You don’t want to lose a game ever. And then also, in that position, having a shot at the end is all you can ask for on this moment. But we’ve got to do better job overall.”
Williams and the Bears (11-5) had been at their best in those types of late-game situations with an NFL record six wins when trailing in the final two minutes of regulation, including a comeback win last week against the Green Bay Packers.
Williams moved Chicago 63 yards in 2:11, converting a fourth-and-5 and then getting the ball to the 2 with a hook-and-ladder pass to Colston Loveland, who lateraled to D'Andre Swift.
After a spike to stop the clock, the Bears struggled to line up properly on the final play. Williams was then flushed out of the pocket by Bryce Huff and his throw to the end zone short-hopped Walker.
“We just had to try to make something out of nothing in that situation and then, like I said, we had a shot,” Williams said. “With all that going on, time winding down, we had a shot. I just have to give my guys a shot in that situation. I ended up dirting the ball, didn’t get my legs into it. Just put the ball in the end zone in that situation. I can’t dirt the ball.”
The loss ends the Bears’ hopes of earning the top seed and a first-round bye. Chicago has already clinched the NFC North and can earn the No. 2 seed by beating Detroit next Sunday or if Philadelphia loses to Washington.
Williams threw for 330 yards and two touchdowns, Swift ran for two scores, rookies Luther Burden and Loveland combined for 14 catches for 232 yards and two touchdowns and T.J. Edwards scored on a 34-yard pick-6 on the first play from scrimmage.
But the defense struggled to get any stops, allowing Brock Purdy and the 49ers to score six touchdowns in the third game this season that Chicago has allowed at least 42 points.
For a franchise built on a history of stout defenses and inconsistent offenses, the manner in which the Bears lost was especially stunning. They became the second team in the Super Bowl era to lose a game in the regular season or playoffs when they scored at least 35 points, got a defensive touchdown and didn't turn the ball over.
Teams had been 286-1 in that scenario with the only other team to lose being Denver in a 41-36 loss to the St. Louis Rams in the 2000 season opener.
“When you go against a dynamic offense like that, you talk about the possibilities as an offense of going tit-for-tat with them, and at times we may answer that call,” coach Ben Johnson said. “They just ended up making more plays than us.”
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Chicago Bears' Colston Loveland celebrates his touchdown catch with Kyle Monangai during the first half of an NFL football game the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (53) is congratulated by teammates after returning an interception for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes while pressured by San Francisco 49ers defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (94) on the final play of the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Trevor Lawrence took the Jacksonville Jaguars back to the playoffs with his nearly flawless work through the air.
On Sunday, he used his legs to put the Jags on the cusp of a division title.
Lawrence ran for two scores, Cam Little made a tiebreaking, 42-yard field goal with 6:58 to play, and the Jags beat the Indianapolis Colts 23-17 to move within one victory of their first AFC South crown since 2022.
“We are a very confident group. We feel like, ‘Why not us?’ We feel like it should be us,” Lawrence said. “We’ve got to go and finish the job next week. It’s a huge game — a division game to win the AFC South. We know what we have to do, and we know what we have ahead of us.”
Their celebration was put on hold for another week after two-time defending division champion Houston beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-16 on Saturday. That result also eliminated the Colts (8-8) from the postseason.
Still, it didn’t diminish what the Jags (12-4) did Sunday.
Jacksonville won its seventh straight to remain one game ahead of the Texans. The Jags are also in the mix for the AFC's top seed under Liam Coen, who became the first coach to win 12 games after taking over a team that won four games the previous season.
Lawrence had a workmanlike performance, completing 23 of 37 passes for 263 yards — ending his streak of four straight games with 275 yards, two TDs and a passer rating over 100. He also threw his first interception in five weeks.
The numbers weren't important to Lawrence.
“We’ve got the confidence that when we play well, we can beat anybody,” he said. “Who cares who thinks who is the best team? We’ll actually have the chance to prove it. We’ll have our shot.”
Jackonville kept 44-year-old Colts quarterback Philip Rivers winless in three games since he returned to the league following a five-year retirement.
Indy (8-8) has lost six straight and seven of eight to become the sixth team since 1970 — and the first since the 1995 Oakland Raiders — to miss the postseason after starting 8-2.
“We were talking in there and I think the start, the hot start, is what probably makes this whole thing hurt even more,” Rivers said. “If it had been one of those kinds of back-and-forth years the whole year — you look up and you find a way to win eight, nine games and you go, ‘Shoot, just kind of a grinding kind of year.' But the fact they were at eight (wins) so soon and it's just been a tough last six-game stretch or so.”
Rivers went 17 of 30 for 147 yards with one TD and one interception. His pick set up Jacksonville's go-ahead score.
The fourth-oldest quarterback to start an NFL game relied on his wisdom to put Jacksonville in an early 10-0 hole. A long opening kickoff return by Ashton Dulin set up a field goal, and the Colts converted a Jags turnover into a 3-yard TD run from Jonathan Taylor.
Lawrence answered with a 4-yard TD run and again in the third quarter with a nifty 6-yard scoring run midway through the third quarter to make it 14-10.
Dulin's second long return, a 56-yarder, set up Rivers' 5-yard TD pass to Mo Alie-Cox that put Indy up 17-14 with 5:58 left in the third.
Then Little tied the score with a 34-yard field goal, broke the tie with his 42-yarder and extended the margin with a late 53-yarder before the Jags sealed it by intercepting Riley Leonard's final heave into the end zone.
More celebrations could be coming soon for the Jags.
“We haven’t addressed making the playoffs as a team,” Coen said. “We haven’t talked about goals, about the division, the conference, the Super Bowl, none of that. We’re focused on being 1-0 each week and keeping the mindset as singular as we can.”
Jaguars: Etienne rushed 17 times for 76 yards to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his four seasons. ... Parker Washington caught eight passes for 115 yards.
Colts: Taylor tied his single-season franchise records for TD runs (18) and total TDs (19), matching his totals from 2021. ... The Colts lost their final three home games after winning their first six, including a game in Berlin.
Indy receiver Michael Pittman Jr. left briefly in the first quarter with a calf injury, and two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner did not return after aggravating the calf injury that kept him out the previous three weeks.
Jaguars: Can win the division title with a victory over visiting Tennessee next weekend.
Colts: At Houston next weekend to conclude their fifth straight season without a playoff berth.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) throws under pressure from Jacksonville Jaguars safety Eric Murray (29) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Germaine Pratt (53) intercepts a pass intended for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) celebrates after scoring during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) scores past Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross (20) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) catches a pass as Indianapolis Colts cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (29) and safety Nick Cross (20) defend during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence scores past Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore (95) and safety Camryn Bynum (0) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
